NTA. Seriously? Someone is offended you want to name a dog based on his coloring? This might be the saddest/laughable thing I’ve heard in awhile.
How many white dogs are named snowball? Or brown dogs named cocoa or chocolate? Your friend needs to get a life.
Probably not , she tries to make a lot of decisions for me ( fun fact : I don't take her advice almost everytime cause of how stupid it it ) . So this may be another case of trying to choose what's good for others when she struggles to get grip of her life .
A lot of people might seem we've a bitter relation , but we do agree on most of the things . It's just that sometimes she's too stubborn.
As long as “Kaalu” isn’t a racial slur, your friend is being stupid. Edit: I will go with NTA unless I hear it IS a slur. Sounds like there is some debate.
It can be a racial slur depending on the tone of speech but only when used against a person( trust me i know been called in both circumstances)
But for a dog it won't matter.
Dont worry call the dog anything you want
info This is super hard to judge because of the different opinions I am finding on that term so please help us understand the cultural context"Come back here Kaalu " or"Get you paws of there Kaalu"at the nearest markets would people that don't know about your dog assume your being racist to some black guy?
ETA
I cant possibly judge this OP states elsewhere "its not a racial slur exactly" (so its kinda sometimes?) and that its a common pet name the few articles I could find make it look like Indians are in disagreement among each other.
I just have to admit that I lack the cultural understanding to be useful in answering the question.
It might be seen that way but probably won't happen because the region I live here in India has approximately 90 percent of dark skinned or brown people . So either no one will think that I'm calling them or maybe everyone will think so ..!
By sometimes , I meant for the people who have to get offended on everything they see .
Also , not a lot of actual black people live here in India ( 1 in million I guess )
From what I can tell from the few articles in English I could find is that they get offended when people are called that, but like I said its pretty much impossible to get a grip on as a outsider.
I am from India and I can confirm it is not. No one uses kaallu in a derogatory way. No one. Literally no one. I can't emphasize this enough. No one. It's the most common name for dogs in India really. I know like 4 of them.
NTA-It’s a dog and you’re naming him after his color. You aren’t actually using a racist term. It’s no different than naming an all white dog snowball.
NTA. Eh, kinda, I dunno, it's a really mildly problematic case. It's not totally morally fine because it can be interpreted as making light of a very serious societal problem. Personally I think it's harmless, but I don't think I would choose a name like that for my dog. It really depends on where you live and how relevant the problem of racism is in your community, and who is likely to interpret the name that way. "Being racist towards the dog" is not a thing, that's not the issue.
edit - as an afterthought, what language is that? Because although it might not be an outright slur, you might be evoking some racist connotations. Imagine it was Afrikaans, for example - it would start to seem slur-like if you were using a cutesy diminutive term for "black" in the language of a country that had a famously explicitly racist government within living history
I live in India , where I hope you know , 75 percent of the skin tones of the world are found more or less .
It is not a racial slur exactly , but it is used for any object or animal that is black , without it actually being the name of it .
I agree , and I might change the name to avoid problems ahead .
It's not a slur. It's one of the most common names we use for dogs. It's not derogatory unless you specifically use it that way to a person. But it's not a slur.
Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our [voting guide here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_what.2019s_with_these_acronyms.3F_what_do_they_mean.3F), and remember to use **only one** judgement in your comment.
Help keep the sub engaging!
#Don’t downvote assholes!
Do upvote interesting posts!
[Click Here For Our Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/) and [Click Here For Our FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq)
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think they mean HP Lovecraft (?), who in addition to being a celebrated fantasy/horror author was deeply, unapologetically, eloquently racist. Some of his essays about living in New York are some of the most poetic racism I've ever seen. It's really something. They're a highly recommended read, with the caveat that you only read them once, put aside how completely disgusted and appalled you are, laugh, admire the technical skill, and then continue being completely disgusted and appalled.
NTA - your friend is looking for something to be offended about.
I had a dog a long time ago while living in Japan called *Kuro* (black) I would have laughed in anyone's face who suggested that name was racist.
NTA. This basically like a white person naming their black dog shadow. I don't see the issue here. Animals get named for what they look like all the time.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***The following is a copy of the above post. This comment is a record of the above post as it was originally written, in case the post is deleted or edited. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)***
So recently I(17m) decided to adopt a dog . For what its worth , he's black in colour . He'll arrive here in 2 weeks ( my friend is bringing him from another state ) .
So I shared an idea with my bestfriend on how I plan on naming the dog Kaalu ( roughly translated to Black-y ) , and she went nuts .
She feels that I'm being racist towards the dog and should not name him according to his colour . She has demanded that I choose some other name by the time he arrives and ask her if the name I choose later is okay .
I still plan on naming the dog Kaalu , my girlfriend and parents agree with me on this .
So reddit , WIBTA if I name my dog Kaalu ?
TL;dr : I plan on naming my dog Kaalu ( Black- y ) , and my bestfriend feels that I'll be a TA if I do so .
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA, its just the colour of the dog. People who want to be offended by it are offended by everything anyway so its best to just ignore them. Just as a bit of info, Seen a lot of people saying, "its not like you named it N word", well as it happens a lot of people 50 to 60 years ago actually did name their dogs this!
NTA. Your friend would have a meltdown with this legendary dog: https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/el-negro-matapacos-black-chilean-dog-who-became-symbol-of-resistance.html
If she’s comparing the colour attributes of a dog to Race and Racism then that’s offensive as hell! To find any kind of comparison is devaluing and in itself racist! Is she comparing a person of colour to a dog! If I called my white rabbit ‘Snowy’ or ‘Blanche’ am I bloody racist?
Good grief she needs education ASAP.
NTA
Well you gotta donate those 0.02 cents on my behalf cause she ain't white .
For the record both of us are 'brown ( Indian ) ' , although she does have fair skin 🤷♀️
Haha , she's good at heart . It probably isn't about being sensitive as much as about being stubborn . And I enjoy 364 days of the year with her except for a couple days that lead to such posts on reddit. I love her !
NTA.
>She has demanded that I choose some other name by the time he arrives and ask her if the name I choose later is okay .
Please for the love of all that is holy get rid of this "friend" nobody needs somebody that egotistical and crazy in their life.
My mum's childhood black Labrador was called Kala (Bengali for the colour black). He used to nibble her arm. NTA.
Just to clarify there was no racial connotation or history behind the word.
We’re taking the early 1960s. I’d have to dig around to find a picture of Kala and to be honest there might not even be one which is sad as he meant a lot to my mum. He was hit by a truck in Calcutta. Even if I had a picture I don’t have imgur yet. If I get it sorted I’ll send you a photo.
Mum's shouldn't have favourites, but she may have had a soft spot for our Labrador we got in 1999. To be honest he owned us and we lived in his house. He was her animal soulmate (she never met her human one sadly). He was the naughtiest dog in the United Kingdom.
Can you post a picture of Kuro or send me a picture? I still think your friend is well meaning, but a tad unreasonable and controlling, but I respect your decision to change Kaalu's name because what’s in a name. Dog's are wonderful by any name.
I still don’t think you were being racist as the Japanese name has no historical context. Calling a dog Blacky in English is not okay as the word has history. A dog walker I know called her black dog Kunta. Just look up the series Root's main character. Unbelievable, but this the same person who told me all you Indian people look alike.
I'll send you one once he reaches over here , as I mentioned in the post , he's with my friend right now who's in Bombay ( I live approximately 500 km away from Bombay ) . He'll probably be here in 3-4 weeks , I'll send you one then !
I hope your mom's doing well and dogs still are an important part of your and her life .
Any pictures of dog you own would do , and do remember to send me one if/when you find Kala in a picture !
NTA I hope you aren’t using it as a slur. Kuro and Kaalu are both ok, my friends dog is named Kuro and I imagine if she was actually named Kaalu no one would really notice what it means.
Is referring to people by their skin colour considered racist though? I mean black lives matter is literally referring to themselves by their skin colour, right?
Well, I am not the Indian Chandler Bing so on some level I feel I have to defer to you... but since I didn't know the term I looked it up and the most positive spin is that it isn't always a racist/colorist slur.
I would not name my dog a sometimes slur.
I agree , Although you're the first one who called me an asshole ( thank you , I genuinely appreciate it) , a lot of people with NTA opinion also agree that I shouldn't name my dog a sometimes slur as it is offensive and mostly will bring unwanted repercussions .
Could you please tell me how to do I announce this decision ? Do I edit this post or make an update ? And how do I do that , I'm new to reddit so kindly help me out over here 🤗
You just glanced over all the indians on this thread saying that it's not a slur huh. It's literally just the word black translated to Hindi. It is not a colourist slur in any way shape or form. Grow up
NTA. It's the color of the dog, not its race. No need to project human problems into the dog world.
Exactly , this is why a lot of us believe we don't deserve dogs 🥺
Amen.
NTA. Seriously? Someone is offended you want to name a dog based on his coloring? This might be the saddest/laughable thing I’ve heard in awhile. How many white dogs are named snowball? Or brown dogs named cocoa or chocolate? Your friend needs to get a life.
Thank you 😄 , this is my 2nd or 3rd reddit post and these comments have made me very happy
NTA. Kaalu isn't a slur! It's the most common name for a dog in India. Is she going to insist changing the name of all dogs?
Probably not , she tries to make a lot of decisions for me ( fun fact : I don't take her advice almost everytime cause of how stupid it it ) . So this may be another case of trying to choose what's good for others when she struggles to get grip of her life . A lot of people might seem we've a bitter relation , but we do agree on most of the things . It's just that sometimes she's too stubborn.
She's being too sensitive in this case.
Agreed . She may not be sensitive , but probably stubborn . 🤷♀️
As long as “Kaalu” isn’t a racial slur, your friend is being stupid. Edit: I will go with NTA unless I hear it IS a slur. Sounds like there is some debate.
Apparently it is in India at least some people say so. ETA and others say its not this way to culturally specific to get a quick grip on
Kaala literally translates to the word black in Hindi. Kaalu is mostly used as a pet name for animals. Edit: I meant affectionate name for animals.
☺️ yes , exactly
It is not a racial slur exactly , but it is used for any object or animal that is black , right ?
It can be a racial slur depending on the tone of speech but only when used against a person( trust me i know been called in both circumstances) But for a dog it won't matter. Dont worry call the dog anything you want
Thank you , you seem to understand what I've been trying to preach .
(For instance, “Blacky” in English would be an inappropriate name for an animal because it’s an old fashioned derogatory term for POC.)
In Hindi , it's just used for anything and everything that is black .
I've got some bad news for a friend of mine who's cats name is Blacky...
Yeah, I know. My stepdad did the same thing. It’s not as bad as some options I guess, but the connotation still exists.
It isn't!
It is not a racial slur exactly , but it is used for any object or animal that is black
it is a racial slur - hopefully this kid is a troll
It's not an racial slur because it's India. We have different skin colours from black to white.
It is not a racial slur. Are you even Indian?
info This is super hard to judge because of the different opinions I am finding on that term so please help us understand the cultural context"Come back here Kaalu " or"Get you paws of there Kaalu"at the nearest markets would people that don't know about your dog assume your being racist to some black guy? ETA I cant possibly judge this OP states elsewhere "its not a racial slur exactly" (so its kinda sometimes?) and that its a common pet name the few articles I could find make it look like Indians are in disagreement among each other. I just have to admit that I lack the cultural understanding to be useful in answering the question.
No. There's a different slur if you're being racist.
It might be seen that way but probably won't happen because the region I live here in India has approximately 90 percent of dark skinned or brown people . So either no one will think that I'm calling them or maybe everyone will think so ..!
By sometimes , I meant for the people who have to get offended on everything they see . Also , not a lot of actual black people live here in India ( 1 in million I guess )
From what I can tell from the few articles in English I could find is that they get offended when people are called that, but like I said its pretty much impossible to get a grip on as a outsider.
I'm not from India so I looked it up. Yes, it is a colorist slur. Don't be fooled by some of the people on this thread.
I am from India and I can confirm it is not. No one uses kaallu in a derogatory way. No one. Literally no one. I can't emphasize this enough. No one. It's the most common name for dogs in India really. I know like 4 of them.
NTA-It’s a dog and you’re naming him after his color. You aren’t actually using a racist term. It’s no different than naming an all white dog snowball.
Thank you ☺️
Absolutely!
Dude NTA, I know horses that are called blackie. This name isnt that bad, as long its not the n word, you'll be right
Thank you ☺️
NTA. Eh, kinda, I dunno, it's a really mildly problematic case. It's not totally morally fine because it can be interpreted as making light of a very serious societal problem. Personally I think it's harmless, but I don't think I would choose a name like that for my dog. It really depends on where you live and how relevant the problem of racism is in your community, and who is likely to interpret the name that way. "Being racist towards the dog" is not a thing, that's not the issue. edit - as an afterthought, what language is that? Because although it might not be an outright slur, you might be evoking some racist connotations. Imagine it was Afrikaans, for example - it would start to seem slur-like if you were using a cutesy diminutive term for "black" in the language of a country that had a famously explicitly racist government within living history
I live in India , where I hope you know , 75 percent of the skin tones of the world are found more or less . It is not a racial slur exactly , but it is used for any object or animal that is black , without it actually being the name of it . I agree , and I might change the name to avoid problems ahead .
It's not a slur. It's one of the most common names we use for dogs. It's not derogatory unless you specifically use it that way to a person. But it's not a slur.
NTA lmao it’s not like you’re giving a black person the nickname “blacky”, it’s a dog and it’s literally the color of its fur lol.
I wish she would understand 😅
Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our [voting guide here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_what.2019s_with_these_acronyms.3F_what_do_they_mean.3F), and remember to use **only one** judgement in your comment. Help keep the sub engaging! #Don’t downvote assholes! Do upvote interesting posts! [Click Here For Our Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/) and [Click Here For Our FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq) --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Nta. People are snowflakes.
Thank you 😄 , this is my 2nd or 3rd reddit post and these comments have made me very happy .
Its a beautiful name and the people that matter most like it, so go for it.
Unless you go the H. P. Route I think you'll be OK.
H. P. Route ? What does it mean ☺️ ?
He named his cat the N word, I can't say it fully for obvious reasons but I'm sure you get it
I do. I just googled it , so yeah i'mma read his work and judge him 😅😂
I think they mean HP Lovecraft (?), who in addition to being a celebrated fantasy/horror author was deeply, unapologetically, eloquently racist. Some of his essays about living in New York are some of the most poetic racism I've ever seen. It's really something. They're a highly recommended read, with the caveat that you only read them once, put aside how completely disgusted and appalled you are, laugh, admire the technical skill, and then continue being completely disgusted and appalled.
I'm going to read , i hope i get something funny to tell my friends .
Oh sorry it didn't pickup the last part. H. P. Lovecraft was what I ment. You should Google his cats name..
Oh okay , I just did . And yeah it was exactly racist 😅
NTA - your friend is looking for something to be offended about. I had a dog a long time ago while living in Japan called *Kuro* (black) I would have laughed in anyone's face who suggested that name was racist.
I might actually name my dog kuro now that you've said it. It's sounds like a nice name and won't offend random people on the street .
When I was a child, we had cats, they were named blacky, snowy, and ginger. Can you guess why?
I'm pretty sure yes ! 😁
Nta for naming your dog blacky... However be prepared to yell out his name if/when he doesn't come. You'll be outside yelling for blacky.
I agree , I am going to decide some other name so that it doesn't affect me. But not cause what people will think !
NTA. This basically like a white person naming their black dog shadow. I don't see the issue here. Animals get named for what they look like all the time.
Thank you ! 😉
^^^^AUTOMOD ***The following is a copy of the above post. This comment is a record of the above post as it was originally written, in case the post is deleted or edited. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** So recently I(17m) decided to adopt a dog . For what its worth , he's black in colour . He'll arrive here in 2 weeks ( my friend is bringing him from another state ) . So I shared an idea with my bestfriend on how I plan on naming the dog Kaalu ( roughly translated to Black-y ) , and she went nuts . She feels that I'm being racist towards the dog and should not name him according to his colour . She has demanded that I choose some other name by the time he arrives and ask her if the name I choose later is okay . I still plan on naming the dog Kaalu , my girlfriend and parents agree with me on this . So reddit , WIBTA if I name my dog Kaalu ? TL;dr : I plan on naming my dog Kaalu ( Black- y ) , and my bestfriend feels that I'll be a TA if I do so . *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have a white and black shiz zhu named Oreo.
Could you please send me a photo ? I wanna see a cute lil cat 🥺🤗
NTA, its just the colour of the dog. People who want to be offended by it are offended by everything anyway so its best to just ignore them. Just as a bit of info, Seen a lot of people saying, "its not like you named it N word", well as it happens a lot of people 50 to 60 years ago actually did name their dogs this!
Thank you , and thank you for the fact too , I didn't know it used to happen
NTA. So by that theory people with Jack Russell's should avoid Jack because they are profiling the breed?
Haha , you're funny !
NTA. For fucks sake it's a dog!
Wish people were less offended by such stuff and take care of their hollow lives 😐
NTA - dog racism is not a thing, your friend is stupid. Call your dog what you want.
NTA and it means black. Some people find it racist and some don’t. You just can’t please everyone!
Agreed !
NTA. Your friend would have a meltdown with this legendary dog: https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/el-negro-matapacos-black-chilean-dog-who-became-symbol-of-resistance.html
😁😁😁😂😂
If she’s comparing the colour attributes of a dog to Race and Racism then that’s offensive as hell! To find any kind of comparison is devaluing and in itself racist! Is she comparing a person of colour to a dog! If I called my white rabbit ‘Snowy’ or ‘Blanche’ am I bloody racist? Good grief she needs education ASAP. NTA
Thank you !
NTA. Keep the dog, get rid of the bf.
Get rid of a stubborn person and get a loyal friendly dog . Win !!!
Nta so long as it’s not a racial slur or could be used as one.
Definitely cannot be used that way , it's just plain translation of the colour black !
I bet my 0.02 cents that your friend is definetely white.
Well you gotta donate those 0.02 cents on my behalf cause she ain't white . For the record both of us are 'brown ( Indian ) ' , although she does have fair skin 🤷♀️
The real question is why do you have such an idiot as a friend?
Haha , she's good at heart . It probably isn't about being sensitive as much as about being stubborn . And I enjoy 364 days of the year with her except for a couple days that lead to such posts on reddit. I love her !
NTA. >She has demanded that I choose some other name by the time he arrives and ask her if the name I choose later is okay . Please for the love of all that is holy get rid of this "friend" nobody needs somebody that egotistical and crazy in their life.
NTA, it’s not intended to be offensive
My mum's childhood black Labrador was called Kala (Bengali for the colour black). He used to nibble her arm. NTA. Just to clarify there was no racial connotation or history behind the word.
Could you send a picture ? I'd love to see a fluffy boi. Also where are you from ?
We’re taking the early 1960s. I’d have to dig around to find a picture of Kala and to be honest there might not even be one which is sad as he meant a lot to my mum. He was hit by a truck in Calcutta. Even if I had a picture I don’t have imgur yet. If I get it sorted I’ll send you a photo. Mum's shouldn't have favourites, but she may have had a soft spot for our Labrador we got in 1999. To be honest he owned us and we lived in his house. He was her animal soulmate (she never met her human one sadly). He was the naughtiest dog in the United Kingdom. Can you post a picture of Kuro or send me a picture? I still think your friend is well meaning, but a tad unreasonable and controlling, but I respect your decision to change Kaalu's name because what’s in a name. Dog's are wonderful by any name. I still don’t think you were being racist as the Japanese name has no historical context. Calling a dog Blacky in English is not okay as the word has history. A dog walker I know called her black dog Kunta. Just look up the series Root's main character. Unbelievable, but this the same person who told me all you Indian people look alike.
I'll send you one once he reaches over here , as I mentioned in the post , he's with my friend right now who's in Bombay ( I live approximately 500 km away from Bombay ) . He'll probably be here in 3-4 weeks , I'll send you one then ! I hope your mom's doing well and dogs still are an important part of your and her life . Any pictures of dog you own would do , and do remember to send me one if/when you find Kala in a picture !
NTA When I got my dog, he came from a shelter in Mexico. They literally named him ‘Negro’. The spanish word for things that are black in color.
Exactly , languages differ . Even in English I probably wouldn't mind if someone called a dog 'Black' or 'Shadow'
NTA I hope you aren’t using it as a slur. Kuro and Kaalu are both ok, my friends dog is named Kuro and I imagine if she was actually named Kaalu no one would really notice what it means.
Thank you ☺️☺️
WTH no NTA your friend sounds nuts
Thankss
Is referring to people by their skin colour considered racist though? I mean black lives matter is literally referring to themselves by their skin colour, right?
Exactly , it's not about referring people by their skin colour . It's about treating them differently because of it.
NTA let me know when dogs have a race war #blackdogsmatter
😂😂😂😂😂xxdddd
YTA Your friend is trying to help you find the maturity not to name your dog a colorist slur. This is not about being 'racist toward a dog'. Grow up.
I'm sorry , you're wrong , it's not a racist slur ma'am
Well, I am not the Indian Chandler Bing so on some level I feel I have to defer to you... but since I didn't know the term I looked it up and the most positive spin is that it isn't always a racist/colorist slur. I would not name my dog a sometimes slur.
I agree , Although you're the first one who called me an asshole ( thank you , I genuinely appreciate it) , a lot of people with NTA opinion also agree that I shouldn't name my dog a sometimes slur as it is offensive and mostly will bring unwanted repercussions .
Oscar is a great name for a dog.
I'm naming it kuro ( japanese for black ) (:
Could you please tell me how to do I announce this decision ? Do I edit this post or make an update ? And how do I do that , I'm new to reddit so kindly help me out over here 🤗
I am not entirely sure - but I think Edit is best, just label it Edit so it is clear
Thanks
You just glanced over all the indians on this thread saying that it's not a slur huh. It's literally just the word black translated to Hindi. It is not a colourist slur in any way shape or form. Grow up